Attao: $7.2M appropriation to restore 60-hour workweek, fund PSS, retirees not electioneering

Rep. Blas Jonathan "BJ" T. Attao has dismissed suggestions that the proposed $7.2-million appropriation to restore government employees' working hours from 53 to 60 per pay period, provide additional funding for the Public School System, and pay retirees is politically motivated, saying the funding had been sought long before the November elections.

Attao, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is in the Nov. 20 gubernatorial runoff against former Gov. Ralph DLG Torres after finishing second to the latter in the Nov. 3 general elections.

The independent gubernatorial candidate defended House Bill 24-115 during a House session late Monday evening, Nov. 9, insisting that the measure was intended to address longstanding financial needs rather than score political points.

"So let it be clear that this is not a political legislation," Attao said. "This legislation or these accounts, among other accounts, have been requested through the budget process."

The proposed appropriation would restore seven working hours per pay period for affected government employees whose hours had been reduced to 53 because of the Commonwealth's financial difficulties.

The restoration to 60 hours would provide additional income to affected employees and their families while putting more money into the local economy.

The measure would also provide approximately $1.9 million for PSS, $3 million for retirees, and more than $800,000 for Medicaid, according to Attao.

He said the funding requests had been made through the regular budget process, but the figures were not immediately available because of ongoing audits and reconciliation by the Department of Finance.

"It was the audit reports that took a while for us to be able to get numbers, and finance had to reconcile those numbers," Attao said.

"Now that we have the numbers, all of a sudden it's something political. This is not political at all."

House Bill 24-115 would appropriate approximately $7.2 million from funding sources identified by the administration of Gov. David M. Apatang, including excess Medicaid and Federal Emergency Management Agency funds from fiscal year 2026.

Attao pointed to previous appropriations for retirees as evidence that lawmakers had consistently sought ways to address funding shortfalls regardless of the political calendar.

These included a $2.1 million appropriation earlier this year and $5.7 million in Saipan casino-related funds that benefited retirees throughout the Commonwealth.

Attao said the proposed legislation would provide retirees with retroactive payments beginning Oct. 15.

"So they can play the politics and say whatever they want to say. At the end of the day, the public school system is going to get almost $2 million from this legislation," he said.

"The retirees are going to get a retroactive pay to October 15 moving forward. Medicaid's going to get its money, and the 53 hours of active government employees will be increased to 60 hours."

Other lawmakers also rejected suggestions that the appropriation was politically motivated.

Rep. Angelo Camacho urged the House and Senate to act swiftly, saying retirees, students, and educators should not have to wait any longer for financial assistance.

"This is definitely not about politics. This is about our people, our responsibilities, and doing what is right," Camacho said.

Rep. John Paul Sablan thanked Attao and the Apatang administration for identifying the funding, saying the appropriation demonstrated lawmakers' continuing efforts to address shortfalls affecting retirees, schools, and Medicaid.

House floor leader Marissa Flores, meanwhile, supported the legislation but questioned why the additional funding had not been identified before lawmakers approved the fiscal year 2027 budget.

"When did that office first know about this money, and why was this body not told before we voted?" Flores asked, referring to the Office of Management and Budget.

She emphasized that she was not accusing anyone of concealing the money but said the public deserved an explanation of when the funds became available.

Attao maintained that the House had been working on the funding issues since budget deliberations began and thanked his colleagues for supporting the measure across party lines.

The House passed House Bill 24-115 unanimously Monday evening, with all 17 members present voting in favor.

The legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration.